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South Dakota state legislative Republican primaries, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 22
- Early voting: Sept. 21 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 5
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
| 2018 South Dakota State Legislature elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | November 6, 2018 |
| Primary | June 5, 2018 |
| 2018 elections | |
|---|---|
| Choose a chamber below: | |
The Republican primary elections for the seats in the South Dakota State Senate and the South Dakota House of Representatives were on June 5, 2018. For information about the Democratic primary elections in South Dakota, click here.
The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 27, 2018. In the state Senate, all 35 seats were up for election. In the state House, all 70 seats were up for election.
Incumbents who did not advance to the general election
Retiring incumbents
Four Republican state Senate incumbents did not seek re-election.
- Neal Tapio (District 5)
- Larry Tidemann (District 7)
- Deb Peters (District 9)
- Terri Haverly (District 35)
Fifteen Republican state House incumbents did not seek re-election in 2018:
- Burt E. Tulson (District 2)
- Daniel Kaiser (District 3)
- Jason Kettwig (District 4)
- Wayne Steinhauer (District 9)
- Greg Jamison (District 12)
- G. Mark Mickelson (District 13)
- Mike Stevens (District 18)
- Tona Rozum(District 20)
- Lance Carson (District 20)
- James Schaefer (District 26)
- Larry Rhoden (District 29)
- Kristin Conzet (District 32)
- David Lust (District 34)
- Lynne Disanto (District 35)
- Blaine Campbell (District 35)
Competitiveness
There were 28 open seats in 2018, which was fewer than the 43 open seats in 2016 and the 33 open seats in 2014. The 7 contested Democratic primaries was up from 3 in 2016 and 4 in 2016. The 17 contested Republican primaries was up from 16 in 2016 and equal to the number of contestested Republican primaries in 2014. The 225 candidates running was up from 179 in 2016 and 195 in 2014.
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Total candidates | Democratic primaries contested | Republican primaries contested | Total contested | Incumbents contested in primaries | Total incumbents contested in primaries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 105 | 28 | 225 | 7 | 17 | 13.6% | 20 | 26.0% |
| 2016 | 105 | 43 | 179 | 3 | 16 | 9.0% | 18 | 29.0% |
| 2014 | 105 | 33 | 195 | 4 | 17 | 11.9% | 17 | 23.6% |
Partisan control
The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the South Dakota House of Representatives and the South Dakota State Senate as of June 2018:
South Dakota House of Representatives
| Party | As of June 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 10 | |
| Republican Party | 59 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 70 | |
South Dakota State Senate
| Party | As of June 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 6 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 35 | |
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. South Dakota law allows parties to choose whether to let unaffiliated voters vote in their elections. For more information on recognized political parties in South Dakota and their primary policies, see here.[1][2]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In South Dakota, all polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If the polls close while you are still in line, you will be permitted to vote. South Dakota is divided between Central and Mountain time zones.[3]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in South Dakota, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of South Dakota, and at least 18 years old by the day of the next election.[4]
The deadline to register to vote is 15 days before the next election. To register, an applicant may submit a voter registration form to the county auditor. Prospective voters can also register in person at the county auditor's office, driver's license stations, certain public assistance agencies, or military recruitment offices.[4]
Automatic registration
South Dakota does not practice automatic voter registration.[5]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
South Dakota does not permit online voter registration.
Same-day registration
South Dakota does not allow same-day voter registration.[5]
Residency requirements
To register to vote in South Dakota, you must be a resident of the state for at least thirty consecutive days.[6][4]
Verification of citizenship
South Dakota does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[7] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The South Dakota Secretary of State’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.
Voter ID requirements
South Dakota requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[8]
Voters can present the following forms of identification:
- South Dakota driver's license or nondriver ID card
- U.S. government photo ID
- U.S. passport
- U.S. Armed Forces ID
- Current student photo identification card from a South Dakota high school or South Dakota accredited institution of higher education
- Tribal photo ID
If a voter does not have a photo ID, he or she can sign a personal identification affidavit. The voter will then be given a regular ballot.[8]
Early voting
South Dakota permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in South Dakota. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[9][10]
To vote absentee, an absentee ballot application must be received by county election officials no later than 5 p.m. the day before the election. A completed absentee ballot must then be received by election officials by the close of polls on Election Day.[11]
See also
- South Dakota state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
- South Dakota House of Representatives elections, 2018
- South Dakota State Senate elections, 2018
- South Dakota State Legislature
- South Dakota elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed September 25, 2024
- ↑ South Dakota Legislature,"Codified Laws § 12-6-26," accessed September 25, 2024
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, “General Voting Information,” accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 South Dakota Secretary of State, “Register to Vote, Update Voter Registration or Cancel Voter Registration,” accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ 2025 South Dakota Legislature, "HB 1066," accessed April 2, 2025
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 South Dakota Secretary of State, "General Voting Information," accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "Voting by Absentee Ballot," accessed July 24, 2024
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Absentee and Early Voting," accessed July 24, 2024
- ↑ Long Distance Voter, "South Dakota Absentee Ballot Guide," accessed July 24, 2024
